U.S. patent application number 14/347282 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-09 for wireless access point alternate settings.
The applicant listed for this patent is Bob Daniel Yacovitch. Invention is credited to Bob Daniel Yacovitch.
Application Number | 20140301328 14/347282 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48669030 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140301328 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yacovitch; Bob Daniel |
October 9, 2014 |
Wireless Access Point Alternate Settings
Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to wireless access point
alternate settings. For example, a processor may select a primary
and alternate radio channel for a wireless access point. In one
embodiment, the alternate channel is a non-radar designated
channel. In one embodiment, the primary and alternate radio
channels are selected based on a network topology map. In one
embodiment, a processor uses a network topology map to select
wireless access point alternate settings to be transmitted where
failure of a wireless access point failure is detected.
Inventors: |
Yacovitch; Bob Daniel; (St.
Laurent, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Yacovitch; Bob Daniel |
St. Laurent |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
48669030 |
Appl. No.: |
14/347282 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
December 20, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2011/066080 |
371 Date: |
March 26, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/329 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 16/18 20130101;
H04W 24/04 20130101; H04W 16/02 20130101; H04W 16/14 20130101; H04W
74/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/329 |
International
Class: |
H04W 74/00 20060101
H04W074/00 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: determining, by a processor, an alternate
radio channel setting not designated for radar avoidance to
associate with a wireless access point as an alternate to a primary
radio channel associated with the wireless access point; and
transmitting information about the associated alternate radio
channel to the wireless access points.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the
associated alternate radio channel of the wireless access point
based on use of an alternate channel by another wireless access
point.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising; identifying that the
wireless access point detected radar on the primary radio channel
associated with the wireless access point; and updating an
associated primary radio channel of another wireless access point
having an associated primary radio channel the same as the primary
radio channel associated with the wireless access point.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the
wireless access point detected radar on the primary radio channel
associated with the wireless access point; and updating an
associated primary radio channel of another wireless access point
within a particular proximity of the wireless access point having
an associated primary radio channel the same as the primary radio
channel associated with the wireless access point.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: simulating a
condition to disrupt the communication on the associated primary
radio channel of the wireless access point; monitoring the
communication of the wireless access point; and outputting
information related to the monitoring.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the
primary radio channel designated for radar avoidance to associate
with the wireless access point; and transmitting information about
the associate primary radio channel to the wireless access
point.
7. An apparatus, comprising; a storage to store a network topology
map of wireless access points n a network; and a determiner to:
determine for a wireless access point, based on the network
topology map, an alternate setting of at least one of the other of
the wireless access points in the event of failure of the wireless
access point; and store information related to the alternate
setting; and a transmitter to transmit information about the
alternate setting to the at least one of the other of the wireless
access points where failure of the wireless access point is
detected.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the alternate setting
comprises at least one alternate power level and an alternate radio
channel.
9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the determiner is further to
identify that the alternate setting fails to replace the network
coverage of the wireless access point.
10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a tester to:
simulate failure of the wireless access point; monitor network
coverage provided by at least one of the other of the wireless
access points; and output information about the monitoring.
11. A machine-readable non transitory storage medium including
instructions executable by a processor to: determine a primary
radio channel and an alternate radio channel setting for a wireless
access point based on a network topology map of wireless access
points in a network; transmit information about the associated
primary radio channel to the wireless access point; and transmit
information about the associated alternate radio channel to the
wireless access point.
12. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11,
wherein transmitting information about the associated alternate
radio channel comprises transmitting information about the
associated alternate radio channel where interference is detected
on the primary channel associated with the wireless access
point.
13. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11,
wherein determining the primary and alternate channel is based on a
relationship between target communication performance on the
primary channel and target communication performance on the
alternate channel.
14. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11,
wherein determining the alternate channel is based on historical
information about the likelihood of interference on the group of
available alternate channels.
15. The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11,
further comprising instructions to: simulate interference of the
wireless access point; and monitor the communication of the
wireless access point; and output information related to the
monitoring.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Wireless networks allow client devices to have more
flexibility as to their locations while still communicating on a
network. Wireless access points may connect to a network via a
wired connection and communicate wirelessly with client devices to
provide network access to the client devices. The wireless access
points may transmit information to the client devices on a radio
channel and at a power level determined by a central controller
that manages network parameters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0002] The drawings describe example embodiments. The following
detailed description references the drawings, wherein:
[0003] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
computing system,
[0004] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a method
to create a wireless access point radio channel communication
alternate plan.
[0005] FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating one example of a wireless
access point radio channel communication plan.
[0006] FIG. 3B is a flow chart illustrating one example of a
wireless access point communicating on a primary and alternate
channel.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
computing system.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a method
to create a wireless access point radio channel communication
alternate plan.
[0009] FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating one example of a network
topology map.
[0010] FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating one example of a wireless
access radio channel communication plan.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a Nock diagram illustrating one example of a
computing system.
[0012] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a method
to create a wireless access point coverage alternate plan.
[0013] FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating one example of a network t
polo map.
[0014] FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating one example of wireless
access point failure plan.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] A wireless network may create alternate plans for reacting
to common issues, such as network interference and wireless access
point failure. The mitigation information may be determined and
stored such that it may be retrieved for use if an issue arises.
Having a mitigation plan available may prevent extensive real-time
analysis at the time of the issue, resulting in a shorter time
period before the problem is addressed.
[0016] As an example, a primary and alternate communication channel
may be selected for each wireless access point and stored such that
the alternate channel may be already determined in the event that
the primary communication channel is no longer available or
desirable. The primary channels for wireless access points may be
set to radar designated channels, and the alternate channels for
wireless access points may be set to non-radar designated channels.
To comply with radio regulations on the 5 GHz band that prevent a
channel from being used when radar is detected, a wireless access
point may scan for radar at regular intervals and scan for radar
for a particular time period when first starting to communicate on
a radar designated channel. If an access point switches to
communicating on another channel due to radar detection or other
types of radio interference, the access point may be unable to
communicate during the time it is performing the initial scan for
radar. Due to the limited number of non-radar designated channels,
it may not be possible for each wireless access point to
communicate on a non-radar designated channel without increasing
the likelihood of co-channel interference. The non-radar designated
channels may be used as alternate channels due to the low
likelihood that each wireless access point would be simultaneously
communicating using its associated alternate channel.
[0017] As another example of a wireless access point alternate
plan, an alternate communication channel may be selected using a
network topology may in a manner that reduces the likelihood of
co-channel interference. For example, the 2.4 GHz band for
communication in North America may be limited to three
non-overlapping channels, which may increase the likelihood of
co-channel interference occurring where nearby wireless access
points communicate using the same channel. A network topology
nearest neighbor map may be used to determine how to allocate the
channels as primary and alternate channels for the wireless access
points in a manner that reduces the likelihood of co-channel
interference.
[0018] As another example of a wireless access point alternate
plan, a mitigation plan may be created to address failure of a
wireless access point. A wireless network controller may use a
network topology map to determine changes that other access points
may make in response to a wireless access points failing. For
example, the other access points may transmit using a different
channel with a larger range or transmit at a higher power so that
silent devices previously connected to the failed wireless access
point may connect to one of the other wireless access points.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
computing system 109. The computing system 109 includes an
apparatus 100, a network 106, a wireless access point A 107, and a
wireless access point B 108. The computing system 109 may set a
primary radar designated communication channel and an alternate
non-radar designated communication channel for the wireless access
points A 107 and B 108 to use to wirelessly communicate with client
devices (not shown).
[0020] The wireless access point A 107 and the wireless access
point B 108 may be any suitable wireless access points. The
wireless access points A 107 and B 108 may be used to provide
network access to client devices, such as by transmitting
information wirelessly via radio frequencies to client devices. In
some implementations, the wireless access points A 107 and B 108
may be combined with other network hardware, such as a router.
[0021] The network 106 may be, for example, the Internet or a Local
Area Network (LAN). The network 106 may be used to communicate
settings information from the apparatus 100 to the wireless access
points A 106 and B 107. For example, the apparatus may send
information about communication channels or power levels to the
wireless access points A 107 and B 108. The network 108 may be a
wired network for transmitting information to the wireless access
points A 107 and B 108, and the wireless access points A 107 and B
108 may wirelessly transmit data to client devices using radio
frequencies. For example, client devices within a particular radius
of wireless access point A 107 may communicate with the wireless
access point A 107 to receive network access.
[0022] The apparatus 100 may be any suitable apparatus for
controlling network parameters. For example, the apparatus 100 may
be a network controller, such as a wireless Local Area Network
(LAN) controller, for centrally managing radio frequency power,
channel, authentication, and security of wireless access points.
The apparatus 100 may include a channel determiner 101, a
transmitter 102, and a machine-readable storage medium 105. The
transmitter 102 may transmit information from the apparatus 100 to
wireless access points, such as wireless access point A 107 and B
108, via the network 106.
[0023] The machine-readable storage medium 105 may be any suitable
machine readable medium, such as an electronic, magnetic, optical,
or other physical storage device that stores executable
instructions or other data (e.g., a hard disk drive, random access
memory, flash memory, etc.). The machine-readable storage medium
105 may be, for example, a computer readable non-transitory medium.
The machine-readable storage medium 105 may include alternate
non-radar designated assignments 103 and instructions 104
executable by the channel determiner 101. In some implementations,
the alternate non-radar designed assignments 103 are stored in a
separate storage than the instructions 104. In some
implementations, the channel determiner 101 is implemented in
hardware and does not execute instructions 104
[0024] The channel determiner 101 may be, for example, a processor,
such as a central processing unit (CPU), a semiconductor-based
microprocessor, or any other device suitable for retrieval and
execution of instructions 104. In one embodiment, the channel
determiner 101 includes logic instead of or in addition to a
processor. As an alternative or in addition to fetching, decoding,
and executing instructions 104, the channel determiner 101 may
include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) or other electronic
circuits that comprise a plurality of electronic components for
performing the functionality described below. In one
implementation, the channel determiner 101 includes multiple
processors. For example, one processor may perform some
functionality and another processor may perform other
functionality.
[0025] The channel determiner 101 may select an alternate channel
for a wireless access point from a group of non-radar designated
channels. The determined access point alternate non-radar
designated assignment 103 may be stored in the machine-readable
storage medium 105 where the transmitter 102 may access it to
transmit it to the wireless access point. For example, the
transmitter 102 may transmit the information about the alternate
channel to the wireless access point via the network 106 to allow
the wireless access point to begin communicating on the alternate
channel. Using a non-radar designated channel as an alternate
channel may allow a wireless access point to begin transmitting on
the alternate channel without first waiting to see if radar is
detected in order to comply with regulations. In some cases, a
channel determiner, either the same component as the channel
determiner 101 or a different component, may assign a radar
designated channel to a wireless access point as a primary channel
such that the wireless access point communicates on the primary
channel until radar detection or another interference issue is
detected on the primary channel.
[0026] As an example, a first wireless access point, such as
wireless access point A 107, and a second access point, such as
wireless access point B 108, may each operate using different radio
channels, and each of the wireless access points may have the same
alternate radio channel. For example, in the event that radar is
detected or another interference issue occurs in the primary
channel used by wireless access point A 107, the channel determiner
101 may retrieve information about the associated alternate channel
from the machine-readable storage medium 105 and transmit
information about the alternate channel to the wireless access
point A 107. The wireless access point A 107 may then begin
communicating using the alternate channel without being delayed by
scanning for radar to comply with regulations regarding radar
designated channels.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a flow chart 200 illustrating one example of a
method to create a radio channel communication alternate plan. A
communication channel alternate may be selected for each of the
wireless access points in a network, or for each of a group of
wireless access points in a network. Information about the
alternate channels may be stored such that in the event that an
access point's primary communication channel experiences
interferences or no longer provides sufficient resources the access
point switches to using the predetermined alternate channel. In the
5 GHz band, regulations mandate that an access point using a
dynamic frequency selection channel monitor for radar periodically
and when initially using certain radio channels. The primary
communication channel for each of the wireless access points may be
selected from the group of radar designated channels, and the
alternate channel may be selected from the group of non-radar
designated channel. The method may be implemented by a central
network controller. For example, the method may be implemented by
the apparatus 100 from FIG. 1.
[0028] Beginning at 201, a channel determiner, such as the channel
determiner 101, determines an alternate radio channel setting not
designated for radar avoidance to associate with a wireless access
point for use as an alternate to the primary radio channel
associated with the wireless access point. The processor may select
the alternate radio channels in any suitable manner. As an example,
the channel determiner 101 of FIG. 1 may assign the wireless access
points A 107 and B 108 the same alternate non-radar designated
channel or different alternate non-radar designated channels. The
likelihood of co-channel interference where the same alternate
channel is chosen may be reduced because of the lower likelihood
that both wireless access points A 107 and B 108 would switch to
communicating on their alternate channels.
[0029] The process of determining an alternate channel may occur at
any suitable time, such as initially when the wireless access point
begins communicating or while the wireless access point is
communicating on the primary channel. In some cases, the alternate
channels may be periodically updated. If a wireless access point
switches to communicating on its alternate channel, other access
points, such as nearby access points, may have their alternate
channels changed. For example, alternates may be reassigned such
that co-channel interference does not occur if a large number of
access points communicate using their alternate channels. Once a
wireless access point begins using its alternate channel, the
processor may determine whether the alternate channel of other
wireless access points should be updated. In some cases, updated
primary or alternate channels may be determined at an idle
time.
[0030] Proceeding to 203, a transmitter, such as the transmitter
102, transmits information about the associated alternate radio
channel to the wireless access point. For example, an access point
may stop communicating using its assigned primary channel because
of radar detection on a radar designated primary channel or due to
non-802.11 interference type issues. In such a case, the processor
may transmit via a network information about that access point's
predetermined alternate channel to the access point. The access
point may then begin communicating using the alternate channel. The
access point may begin communicating on the alternate channel
without first delaying by scanning for radar where the alternate
channel is a non-radar designated channel. In some cases, the
processor may send information about the alternate channel to the
wireless access point, and the wireless access point stores
information about the alternate channel for later use when the
primary channel is no longer used.
[0031] In one implementation, a channel determiner determines a
primary radio channel designated for radar avoidance to associate
with a wireless access point. The channel determiner may select
communication channels for an entire network of wireless access
points or a subset of the wireless access points. The number of
non-radar designated channels may be limited to the point that
using non-radar designated channels for each of the primary radio
channels may result in co-channel interference and poor performance
due to the number of wireless access points sharing each of the
limited number of channels. The radar designated channels may be
numerous enough that they may serve as primary communication
channels without causing co-channel interference and performance
issues. The processor may select the primary radio channel in any
suitable manner. For example, the processor may consider the number
of other access points communicating on the same channel and other
factors.
[0032] A transmitter may transmit information about the associated
primary radio channel to the wireless access point. For example,
the transmitter may transmit the information via a wired network.
The processor may transmit the information when it is determined or
at a later time. The wireless access points may each transmit
information on their assigned primary radio frequency channels.
Client devices may then communicate with the wireless access points
on the associated primary channels.
[0033] As an example, the channel determiner 101 from FIG. 1 may
associate a first dynamic frequency selection channel with wireless
access point A 107 and a second dynamic frequency channel with
wireless access point B 108. The wireless access points A 107 and B
108 may wireless transmit information to client devices using the
assigned primary communication channels until interference or
another issue is experienced. While communicating on the primary
channel that is radar designated, the wireless access points A 107
and B 108 may comply with regulations related to radar, such as by
periodically monitoring for the detection of radar on the
channel.
[0034] The processor may update the primary communication channels.
For example, the processor may periodically analyze the
communication channels in use to determine whether to make changes.
If a first wireless access point switches from its primary channel
to its alternate channel due to radar detection or other
interference, the process may switch other access points using the
same primary channel to a different communication channel to
prevent the same issue from arising. In some cases, access points
nearby the first access point may switch to a different
communication channel. For example, if radar is detected in a
communication channel, it may be detected by access points nearby
the access point detecting radar. To prevent a change being made
later in response to the radar, a new primary communication channel
may be determined for wireless access points within a particular
proximity of the wireless access point, and information about the
new channel may be sent to the wireless access points.
[0035] FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating one example of a wireless
access radio channel communication plan. Block 300 shows a set of
radar avoidance channels including radio channels 100, 104, 108,
112, and 116, and block 301 shows non-radar avoidance channels 36,
40, and 44. Block 302 shows the primary and alternate channels
selected for wireless access points A. B, C, D, and E. For example,
wireless access point A communicates using radio channel 100 and
has non-radar avoidance channel 36 assigned as an alternate.
[0036] FIG. 3B is a flow chart 303 illustrating one example of a
wireless access point communicating on a primary and alternate
channel. At 304, each of the access points A, B, C, D, and E
communicate from their primary channels. For example, the wireless
access points may receive information from a central controller
indicating which radio channel they should use. At 305, wireless
access point B detects radar or other interference in its primary
channel 104. At 306, access point B receives information from the
central controller indicating that wireless access point B should
begin using channel 36 to communicate, and access point B begins to
communicate using channel 36. Channel 36 is one of the non-radar
designated channels, and access B begins to communicate using
channel 36 without first delaying by scanning for radar.
Additionally, the time period for sending wireless access point B
its alternate channel may be shorter because the alternate channel
is predetermined and stored.
[0037] In some cases, a test may be performed to determine the
effectiveness of communication on the primary and alternate
channels. For example, a condition to disrupt the communication of
a wireless access point on its primary radio channel may be
simulated. A central controller may then monitor the communications
of the wireless access point to determine whether it properly
switches to communicate on its alternate channel and to determine
whether client devices are able to communicate with the wireless
access point on its alternate channel. The effect on other wireless
access points may also be monitored. For example, it may be
determined whether the communication on the alternate channel
causes co-channel interference. Results from the monitoring may be
output, such as displayed, transmitted, or stored. A network
administrator may receive the results to determine whether the
network may be able to adequately respond when a primary radio
channel is no longer used
[0038] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
computing system 409. The computing system 409 includes an
apparatus 400, a network 406, a wireless access point A 407, and a
wireless access point B 408. The computing system 409 may determine
a primary and alternate communication channel for the wireless
access points A 407 and B 408 used on a network topology map of
wireless access points. Using the network topology indicating the
relative location of access points may lessen the likelihood of
co-channel interference. For example, an alternate radio frequency
channel may be selected such that nearby access points do not share
the same channel as a primary or alternate channel.
[0039] The wireless access points A 407 and B 408 may provide
network access to client devices (not shown), For example, the
wireless access points A 407 and B 408 may transmit information
wirelessly via radio frequencies to client devices. In some
implementations, the wireless access points A 407 and B 408 may be
combined with other network hardware, such as a router.
[0040] The network 406 may be any suitable network, such as the
Internet or a Local Area Network. The network 406 may be used to
communicate information from the apparatus 400 to the wireless
access points A 407 and B 408. For example, the apparatus may send
information about communication channels or power level to the
wireless access points A 407 and B 408. The network 406 may be a
wired network for transmitting information to the wireless access
points A 407 and B 408, and the wireless access points A 407 and B
408 may wirelessly transmit data to client devices using radio
frequencies.
[0041] The apparatus 400 may be any suitable apparatus for
determining wireless access point settings. For example, the
apparatus 400 may be a network controller, such as a wireless Local
Area Network (LAN) controller, for centrally managing radio
frequency power, channel, authentication, and security of wireless
access points, The apparatus 400 may include a channel determiner
401, a machine-readable storage medium 403, and a transmitter
402.
[0042] The channel determiner 401 may be a processor, such as a
central processing unit (CPU), a semiconductor-based
microprocessor, or any other device suitable for retrieval and
execution of instructions. In one embodiment, the channel
determiner 401 includes logic instead of or in addition to a
processor. As an alternative or in addition to fetching, decoding,
and executing instructions, the channel determiner 401 may include
one or more integrated circuits (ICs) or other electronic circuits
that comprise a plurality of electronic components for performing
the functionality described below. In one implementation, the
channel determiner 401 includes multiple processors. For example,
one processor may perform some functionality and another processor
may perform other functionality.
[0043] The transmitter 402 may be a hardware component for
transmitting information via the network 408. For example, the
transmitter 402 may transmit channel information to the wireless
access points A 407 and B 408 that is determined by the channel
determiner 401. The transmitter 402 may transmit the channel
information, for example, over a wired network.
[0044] The machine-readable storage medium 403 may be any suitable
machine readable medium, such as an electronic, magnetic, optical,
or other physical storage device that stores executable
instructions or other data (e.g., a hard disk drive, random access
memory, flash memory, etc.). The machine-readable storage medium
403 may be, for example, a computer readable non-transitory medium.
The machine-readable storage medium 403 may include instructions
410, network topology map 404, and access point associated primary
and alternate channels 405. The instructions 410 may include
instructions executable by the channel determiner 401 to determine
access point associated primary and alternate channels 405 based on
the network topology map 404. In some cases, the instructions 410,
network topology map 404, and access point associated primary and
alternate channels 406 may be stored in separate storages.
[0045] The network topology map 404 may be a nearest neighbor map
indicating the relative position of access points within the
network. The network topology map 404 may be used to determine
primary and alternate communication channels unlikely to result in
co channel interference. Two wireless access points close to one
another may experience co-channel interference where they both
communicate using the same channel, For example, co-channel
interference may occur in the 2.4 GHz band where there are three
non-overlapping radio channels for transmission in North America.
The limited number of channels may make it more likely that
wireless access points use the same radio charmed to communicate.
Having a predetermined alternate communication channel for each
wireless access point may allow for the alternate channels to be
selected to prevent co-channel interference without consuming a
large amount of time at the time when a wireless access point
experiences interference causing it to switch to the alternate
channel.
[0046] FIG. 5 is a flow chart 500 illustrating one example of a
method to create a radio channel communication alternate plan.
Predetermining an alternate channel may allow the switch from a
primary channel to an alternate channel to occur more quickly where
the analysis is done in advance. The primary and alternate channels
may be selected using a network topology map to lessen the amount
of co-channel interference. The selection may occur at a time of
less network traffic. The method may be implemented by a central
network controller, for example, by the apparatus 400 from FIG.
4.
[0047] Beginning at 501, a channel determiner, such as the channel
determiner 401 from FIG. 4, determines a primary radio channel and
an alternate radio channel setting a wireless access point based on
a network topology map of the wireless access points in a network.
The primary channel may be selected in any suitable manner. The
primary channel may be selected in a manner designed to prevent
co-channel interference. The alternate channel may in some cases be
selected such that if it is used it is unlikely to interfere with
the primary channels of the other wireless access points.
[0048] In one implementation, the channel determiner may determine
the alternate channels based on historical information about the
likelihood of interference on the available channels. For example,
if a channel is used in an area of the network and experiences
co-channel interference, the same channel may not be assigned as an
alternate channel in that area of the network. In one
implementation, the channel determiner selects the primary and
alternate channels based on a relationship between target
communication performance on the primary channel and target
communication on the alternate channel. For example, an
administrator may prefer higher primary channel performance and be
willing to sacrifice a lower alternate performance, or an
administrator may prefer to have a more average alternate
performance that may result in a lesser primary channel
performance. The channel determiner may further select the channels
based on the likelihood of a condition causing the wireless access
point to use the alternate channel.
[0049] Proceeding to 502, a transmitter, such as the transmitter
402, transmits information about the associated primary radio
channels to the wireless access points. The primary channel may be
sent to the wireless access points so that the wireless access
points may communicate using the primary channel. The transmitter
may transmit the information via a wired network, and the wireless
access points may use the primer radio channel for wirelessly
transmitting information to client devices.
[0050] Moving to 603, the transmitter transmits information about
the associated alternate radio channel to at least one of the
wireless access points. For example, the processor may receive
information that an access point experienced interference on its
primary channel, and the processor may send information about the
access point's alternate channel such that the access point may
begin communicating on its alternate channel. In some
implementations, the transmitter may send information about the
alternate radio channel to the wireless access point in advance
such that the wireless access point may store information about the
alternate channel for future use.
[0051] FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating one example of a network
topology map 600. The network topology map shows the location of
access points A, B, C, D, and E. The location of the wireless
access points may be used to determine a primary and alternate
communication channel such that the communication channels are not
the same as the communication channels of nearby wireless access
points.
[0052] FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating one example of a wireless
access radio channel communication plan 601. For example, wireless
access points A and B are near one another, and they have different
primary communication channels to lessen the likelihood of
co-channel interference. Wireless access point B has a different
alternate channel than the primary channel and alternate channel of
wireless access point A. Due to the limited number of channels,
wireless access point A's alternate channel may result in
co-channel interference with access point B. The channels may be
selected, for example, based on the likelihood of a wireless access
point switching to communicate on its alternate channel.
[0053] In one implementation, a test may be performed to determine
the effectiveness of the primary and alternate channel assignments.
For example, a processor may simulate interference of a first one
of the wireless access points and monitor the wireless access point
to determine whether the first wireless access point begins to
communicate on the alternate channel. The processor may also
monitor the performance on the alternate channel, such as whether
client devices are able to communicate on the alternate channel and
whether co-channel interference occurs. Results from the monitoring
may be output, such as saved, displayed, or transmitted. A network
administrator may receive a report if the test fails.
[0054] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
computing system 709. The computing system 709 includes an
apparatus 700, a network 706, a wireless access point A 707, and a
wireless access point B 708. The computing system 709 may determine
a response for a wireless access point failure using a network
topology map of access points in the network. For example, other
access points may transmit at a different power level or on a
different channel to compensate for the unavailable wireless access
point.
[0055] The wireless access points A 707 and B 708 may provide
network access to client devices, For example, the wireless access
points A 707 and B 708 may transmit information wirelessly via
radio frequencies to client devices (not shown). In some
implementations, the wireless access points A 707 and B 708 may be
combined with other network hardware, such as a router.
[0056] The network 706 may be any suitable network, such as the
Internet or a Local Area Network. The network 706 may communicate
information from the apparatus 700 to the wireless access points A
707 and B 708. For example, the apparatus 700 may send information
about communication channels or power levels to the wireless access
points A 707 and B 708. The network 706 may be a wired network for
transmitting information to the wireless access points A 707 and B
708, and the wireless access points A 707 and B 708 may wirelessly
transmit data to client devices using radio frequencies.
[0057] The apparatus 700 may be any suitable apparatus for
determining wireless access point settings. For example, the
apparatus 700 may be a network controller, such as a wireless Local
Area Network (LAN) controller, for centrally managing radio
frequency power, channel, authentication, and security of wireless
access points. The apparatus 700 may include an alternate setting
determiner 701, a machine-readable storage medium 703, and a
transmitter 702.
[0058] The alternate setting determiner 701 may be a processor,
such as a central processing unit (CPU), a semiconductor-based
microprocessor, or any other device suitable for retrieval and
execution of instructions. In one embodiment, the alternate setting
determiner 701 includes logic instead of or in addition to a
processor. As an alternative or in addition to fetching, decoding,
and executing instructions, the alternate setting determiner 701
may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) or other
electronic circuits that comprise a plurality of electronic
components for performing the functionality described below. In one
implementation, the alternate setting determiner 701 includes
multiple processors. For example, one processor may perform some
functionality and another processor may perform other
functionality.
[0059] The machine-readable storage medium 703 may be any suitable
machine readable medium, such as an electronic, magnetic, optical,
or other physical storage device that stores executable
instructions or other data (e.g., a hard disk drive, random access
memory, flash memory, etc.). The machine-readable storage medium
703 may be, for example, a computer readable non-transitory medium.
The machine-readable storage medium 703 may include network
topology map 704 and access point alternate settings 705. The
machine-readable storage medium 703 may include instructions 710
executable by the alternate setting determiner 701.
[0060] A processor may create and store the network topology map
704. The network topology map 704 may be a nearest neighbor map of
wireless access points in the network indicating the proximity of
access points to one another. The alternate setting determiner 701
may create and store the access point alternate settings 705. The
access point alternate settings 705 may include for each access
point or a subset of the access points, a response by other access
points to respond to the failure of the wireless access point. The
other wireless access points may respond such that client devices
previously connecting to the failed wireless access point are still
able to receive network coverage by connecting to one of the other
wireless access points. For example, other wireless access points
may transmit using a different channel with a greater range or may
transmit with greater power.
[0061] The transmitter 702 may be a hardware component for
transmitting information to the wireless access points A 707 and B
708 via the network 706. The apparatus 700 may receive information
that a wireless access point has failed, and the transmitter 702
may notify the other wireless access points affected by the
response information about how they should respond based on the
access point alternate settings 705.
[0062] In some cases, the computing system 709 may be combined with
the computing system 109 from FIG. 1 and the computing system 409
from FIG. 4. For example, a network controller may provide
alternate plans for multiple issues that may arise with wireless
access points.
[0063] FIG. 8 is a flow chart 800 illustrating one example of a
method to create an access point coverage alternate plan. A network
controller may predetermine a plan to react to failure of wireless
access points in a wireless network. The network controller may
determine a response of other access points to mitigate the
coverage hole created by the failure of the access point.
Determining the plan in advance may allow for other wireless access
points to respond more quickly, resulting in a shorter period of
delay for client devices. The method may be implemented, for
example, by the apparatus 700.
[0064] Beginning at 801, an alternate setting determiner, such as
the alternate setting determiner 701, determines for a wireless
access point, based on the network topology map, an alternate
setting of at least one of the other of the wireless access points
in the event of failure of the wireless access point. The network
topology map may indicate which other wireless access point are
near the failed wireless access point. The processor may determine
that the nearby wireless access points may alter their
communication settings to account for coverage lost due to the
failed wireless access point. For example, if a first wireless
access point fails, a nearby wireless access point may transmit at
a higher power that will allow the range of the nearby wireless
access point to reach client devices previously communicating with
the failed wireless access point.
[0065] Continuing to 802, the alternate setting determiner stores
information related to the alternate setting. An alternate setting
determiner may store the predetermined plan such that it may be
accessed and used when a wireless access point fails. Having the
responses predetermined may make the responses occur more quickly
than if the analysis occurred after the failure. The network
connectivity may be restored more quickly to client devices
previously connecting to the failed wireless access point.
[0066] Proceeding to 803, a transmitter, such as the transmitter
702, transmits information about the alternate setting to the at
least one of the other of the wireless access points where failure
of the wireless access point is detected. For example, if the
stored plan indicates that a first and second wireless access point
should transmit on different channels if a third wireless access
point fails, the processor sends the updated channel information to
the first and second wireless access points when the third wireless
access point fails.
[0067] FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating one example of a network
topology map 900. The network topology map 900 indicates the
relative position of wireless access points A, B, C, D, and E. For
example, wireless access point B is closer to wireless access point
A than wireless access point E is to A. The position information
may be used to determine which wireless access points may be able
to change transmission channel, power, or other setting to cover
the area covered by another wireless access point.
[0068] FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating one example of wireless
access point failure plan 901. For each wireless access pint A, B,
C, D, and E, a response of the other wireless access points is
indicated. For example, if wireless access point A fails, a
processor instructs wireless access point B to communicate with
greater power at a larger range to cover the area previously
covered by wireless access point A. In some cases, the creation of
a wireless access point failure plan may identify wireless access
points where other access points are unable to take over the
coverage area. For example, for wireless access point E, the
wireless access point may be too far from other wireless access
points for another wireless access point to allow connectivity for
the client devices previously connected to wireless access point E.
The information about the plan may be output. For example, an
administrator may choose to add hardware or make another network
adjustment to create an adequate backup plan.
[0069] In one implementation, the processor performs a test by
simulating failure of one of the wireless access points. For
example, one of the access points may be turned off. The test may
be beneficial because it may be performed at a time of lighter
traffic and big events where connectivity is needed may be avoided.
The processor may monitor the response of other wireless access
points to determine whether the determined response was
implemented, The processor may output information about the
monitoring, such as storing, displaying, or transmitting it. For
example, an administrator may receive a report about whether some
client devices lost connectivity during the test.
[0070] Automated mitigation plans for wireless network issues may
allow better network performance. For example, the stored plans
indicating updated wireless access point settings may be
implemented more quickly than a response determined after an issue
arises. Automated plans may address issues such as alternate radio
frequency channels and responses to wireless access point
failure.
* * * * *